Version 2.5

Caleb is 2 1/2 years old today! What an amazing blessing this little boy is to our family. We just love him so much!

Here are some fun facts about our little guy as of late:

Par for the Course...

He is still loving sports.....and, that may be an understatement! Lately, his favorite is golf. And, he doesn't seem to mind that he doesn't have an actual golf set (maybe an Easter gift?). He uses whatever he can find to golf....a baseball bat, vacuum attachments, a spatula. And, playing golf on the Wii (or watching us play) is a favorite activity. He even enjoys watching golf on TV, which in my opinion is quite boring. =) If you spend some time at our house, you may hear things like "Nice birdie!" or "Good shot!"

Pottyland...

We have had some successful moments with potty-training, but we're not quite there yet! Hopefully he'll be fully trained soon...we are VERY much looking forward to that day! VERY MUCH.

Brother Bear...

Caleb is such a good big brother. While he can get a little possessive of his toys at times, he is generally very sweet and caring with Meredith. He loves to give her hugs, tell her how cute and beautiful she is, and is quite protective of her.

They have started "playing" with one another....their favorite game to play is when Meredith reaches for Caleb's face to "tickle" him and they both start cracking up. Love it!

Meredith adores him. He does so much as look her way and she lights up. I absolutely love the relationship they already have and I am so proud of Caleb for how he cares for her.

Loving to Learn...

Caleb has wowed us with his ability to remember things and to learn new things. He has recently been making the connection between the letters and the sounds they make....with this, he is able to spell simple words.

He loves to point out letters and numbers and shapes everywhere we go. Although, he seems to think that everything spells his name....for instance, the other day, we drove by a 7-Eleven. He saw the sign and said "E-L-E-V-E-N spells Caleb!"

Friends...

While Caleb still enjoys time to himself, he has really come to love playing with his friends. He has a handful of special friends that we see on a regular basis, and also enjoys playing with friends at church. I am so thankful to have so many friends who are moms of children around Caleb's age!

Favorites...

• Toys: Baseball bat, balls
• Lovey: Blue blankie
• Show: Word World
• Movie: The Polar Express (he calls it The Polar Bear Express!)
• Food: Chicken Nuggets, bread
• Treat: Suckers
• Colors: Purple, red
• Game: Golf on the Wii
• Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar (he has it memorized!)
• Song: Our God is a Great Big God
• Out-of-the house-activity: Monkey Joe's (he loves to jump!)
• Article of Clothing: His football slippers

Caleb's well-visit today went great. The doctor was pleased with his growth (34 pounds, 37.5 inches) and Caleb didn't have to get any shots, so that is good! Oh, and the doctor didn't make me feel like a loser mom for not having him potty-trained yet, and I was very thankful for that.

He is healthy and growing. I am blessed to be his mommy.

Cousins

Evangeline (5 Months), Caleb (2 Years), Meredith (6 Months)

Wordless Wednesday: Waiting for Lunch

This is What Happens...

...when it rains in Arizona.

Dear Dad

Hi Daddy. It's me, Caleb. I really miss you.

Today was a fun day, even though it didn't go as originally planned. We had hoped to visit the Desert Museum here in Tucson, but it rained and was cold (relatively speaking!). So, we found some indoor fun instead. We went to an arcade and played at the mall. We had a yummy lunch and I ate lots of fries. Oh, and before it got too rainy, Uncle Jon played outside with me for a bit.

I miss you and love you. See you soon.

Love,

Caleb

I liked riding on this little carousel...

Meredith and Evangeline took a ride, too.

Of course, I loved shooting some hoops.

Enjoying the Day

We are enjoying our first full day in Arizona. It's great to play outside and get kids in and out of cars without worrying about coats and hats and blankets and boots and so on. And, of course, the best part about being here is that we are able to spend time with family.

Caleb has fully embraced the nice weather. He has spent hours (literally!) today playing outside in Kir and Jon's backyard. And, most of the minutes in those hours were spent perfecting his golf stroke.

Meredith enjoys playing with Evangeline and her toys.

She has also enjoyed being outside without being covered in blankets.

And, just because I think these are cute...

Aunt Jan (my dad's sister) came down from Phoenix for the day!

PS - We miss you, Kris/Daddy! =)

AZ

I am excited to go here


with her


and him


and her.
(Unfortunately, the tall guy won't be going this time.)


We'll be taking one of these


to visit them


and her.


We'll miss him (the man, not the lamb, although the lamb is pretty cute too)


but he'll hopefully have a good weekend with her.


Farewell, snowy Chicago. See you next week.

Wordless Wednesday: Shootin' Hoops

Puffs!

We gave Meredith her first try of some Puffs today!

6 Month Photos

I took Meredith to get her 6 month photos taken today. The original goal was to take her and Caleb, and get some shots of both of them together, and each of them separately. However, a last minute trip to the doctor today revealed double ear infections for Caleb, so he stayed with Grandma while I took Meredith in.

I wasn't sure how well she would do, considering her morning nap was cut short, due to our trip to the pediatrician. But, she surprised me by doing really well, despite how tired I knew she must have been.

Here is one of my favorites...

Half a Year!

Meredith is 6 months old today! Wow! I'll skip the part where I babble on about how quickly this past month flew, and go right to sharing a few fun facts about our 6 month old!



* Meredith is so much fun! She loves loves loves to play. She laughs a ton, and it doesn't take much to get her giggling up a storm. You know, except when she isn't happy. And, when she isn't happy, she really isn't happy. =)

* She continues to sleep well...11.5-12 hours straight at night; 2 long naps during the day, and sometimes a short 3rd nap, depending on how she is doing in the evening.

* She has eaten various fruits and veggies; bananas and sweet potatoes are her favorites.

* While she doesn't seem to be close to scooting/crawling (and that is fine with me!), she is getting stronger by the day! She likes to be on her belly (that is, until she spits up and gets it all over her face), and gets lots of exercise from pushing her chest off the ground with her outstretched arms.

*Speaking of spit-up...those of you who know Meredith know that she has been quite the "spitter"...thankfully, this is getting much better!

*She is such a cuddle-bug. She loves to give "hugs". If you are lucky enough to be the recipient of one of her hugs, be prepared for her to squeeze your neck and bury her cute face into yours.

*She of course loves to put everything in her mouth....toys, toes, my hair.

*She is our little "social butterfly" and definitely enjoys people!





To celebrate her "half-birthday", we made a "half-cake". And, before you call the authorities on me with claims of me feeding my 6 month old cake, please trust that she will not be eating any of it...it is for Kris, Caleb and I to enjoy. =) Okay, let's get real. Kris will probably not eat any. Caleb might take a bite before remembering that he isn't a huge fan of cake. So really, I will end up eating it. It's a good thing it is only a half of a cake!



You may think it's silly that we are even celebrating her 6 month birthday in this way. In a way, it is a bit silly. She has no clue. She can't eat cake. What's the point?

I just really want to cherish these special milestones. I know how fast they go, as my baby boy seemed to grow into a little boy overnight. And, to be honest, there was a point when I wasn't even sure that we could ever have another baby. So the fact that we do is just amazing to me.

This little gesture is just my way of recognizing my special girl's 6 month birthday.

Happy Half-Year Meredith!



P.S. We go to the doctor for her well-visit on Friday. I'll update her height and weight stats after that appointment!

Mini-Golf

We took Caleb to an indoor mini-golf course this weekend. He LOVED it! And, he was quite good. He can swing really well, right- AND left-handed. On one particular hole, he got a hole-in-one...TWICE. He holds the club pretty well and has a great follow-through!

Valentine's Project

I love Valentine's Day. I know, I know...it's such a Hallmark Holiday.....but, I can't help it. I like love. In fact, I love love. =) And, as cheesy as this "hallmarky" holiday can be, you have to admit....it is a great opportunity/reminder to think about love!

Today we made a "decoration" that will hang in our kitchen and will remind us of love. God's love for us. How we are called to love God. And how we are called to love each other.

We made our own finger paint....equal parts flour and water, with food coloring!



Glitter and Glue...




He has gotten the hang of how to use scissors. He knows to put his thumb in the little hole, and his fingers in the big hole and then open and close his hand. He did a perfect job of cutting the yarn.


The finished product. Hopefully these verses about love become familiar to Caleb as we refer to them throughout this month!


God's love for us...
John 3:16, Psalm 37:28

Our love for God...
Matthew 22:37a, 1 John 4:19

Our love for others...
Matthew 22:37b, Proverbs 17:17